Improvement in car-couplings



G. J. CRIKELAIR.

CAR-COUPLING.

N0.179.101. Patented June 27,1376,

WITNESSES INVENTOR NITED- 'ATES GUSTAVE J. ORIKELAIR, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,101, dated June 27, 1876; application filed June 5, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LGUSTAVE J. ORIKELAIR, of Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Gar-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The invention is an improvement in automatic hook-couplings and elastic buffingdevices.

The invention relates to the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan view, Fig. 3 a sectional elevation, and Fig.4 an end view, of my improved coupling,

The head A of the combined draw-head and buffer is cast in one piece with the shank B thereof, which is in the form of a rectangular frame adapted to inclose the elastic cushions (J. The special coupling devices are hooks D, which are each cast in one piece with a shaft, E. Each shaft is arranged in a socket, a, formed solid with the front of each draw-head, and this socket is cut away at one side of the draw-head to form two shoulders, one, 0, on the inside and below the shaft E, and the other, d, on the outside and in front of the shaft. The function of the shoulder c is to prevent the hook falling too far back, and the other, cl, to prevent it falling too far forward. The latter, d, therefore acts both as a stop and rest for the hook, holding it horizontal in position to engage with the opposite drawhead. The object of placing each hook at one side of its draw-head is to leave space for the other or opposite hook to catch over the front or socket portion a of the draw-head.

It is obvious that by the arrangement of the hook-shaft E in the socket to, as shown, the same strengthens and supports the front of the draw-head not only as to the buffing action of one draw-head upon the other, but as to shank of the hooks D shall not project below the shafts E at the point whereat they are joined together, and it is hence necessary the hooks and shafts shall be cast together to secure the requisite strength.

The side of the draw-head contiguous to'the hook is cut away to allow the shaft E to be inserted in the socket. The part thus cut away is supplied by a removable plate, g, which is attached to the side of the draw-head, and holds the shaft E in proper position, as well as takes up part of the strain due to traction.

To hold the hooks D down or engaged with the opposite draw-head, and also hold them elevated or out of engagement, I employ a spiral spring, F, and rod G. The rod is encircled by the spring and pivoted at its front end to radial arms 6 of shaft E, and supported at its rear end by a rigid arm, f. The said arms 0 stand at nearly right angles to the hook D, so that the spring F, acting against the arm, presses forward against the arms a, and thus, whichever, be the position of the hook D-horizontal or elevated-tends to so maintain it.

The means for operating the hooks D is a crank or bent lever, H, which is attached loosely to the projecting end of the shaft E, so that it will turn freely thereon and hang in a vertical position. The lever is confined between the arms 6, and is extended at its upper end it to adapt it to act against the rod G, and thus enable it to turn the shaft E, and raise the hook D, or lower the same, according as the lever H is turned in one direction or the other. The handle portion of lever H projects laterally, so that the operator is not necessitated to enter between the cars to couple or uncouple them, thus avoiding the danger to life and limb'unavoidably incident to the use of the common link-coupling. The levers H cannot be applied to both ends of the same shaft E, since those of one draw-head would, in that case, interfere with the operation of those of the other. To remedy this difficulty, and also to provide convenient means for operating the hooks from the top of freightcars, I provide the head or point of each hook D with a laterally-projecting arm, 6. Each hook can be easily raised and lowcrcdby its arm 11 from the side on which there is no lever H attached to its shaft. The connection from the top of freight-cars is formed by a rod, 70. (Shown in dotted lines.)

The front of each draw-head is provided with a slot, so that the ordinary link-and-pin coupling may be used when necessary; but to couple cars of different heights, one of which has the ordinary link-and-pin coupling attached, I employ, as a substitute, a swinging tongue, I, provided with a slot in its outer end, and attached to a yoke, m, which is pivoted to the sides of the draw-head. When this device is required to be used, the hook D is, of course, elevated or thrown back out of the way. The ends of the yoke-arms mare provided with elongated slots to afford the device the requisite play. i r

I show in the right-hand portion of Figs. 1 and 3 my improved buffing apparatus. The sides of the frame B arevertical, and the elastic cushions O are inclosed between them and the top and bottom plates n 0, which are fixtures, and one or both of which extend the whole length of the car. The cushions O, are placed on opposite sides of a metal block, K, through which passes the pin or bolt L, by which the whole draw-head is pivoted to the car. Pinsp extend from the block K through the bumpers O, and a plate, q, is atached to the under side of the block, to prevent friction and wear of the cushions with the plate 0. I may in some cases dispense withthe pins 19, and retain the cushions in place by means of the frame B and plate 0.

According to the construction of buffing apparatus shown in the lefthand portion of Figs. 1 and 3, the sides of the frame B are arranged horizontally, and the friction-plate is dispensed with; but in such case the pins 19 are indispensable, whereas, in the arrangement shown in the right-hand portion of Figs. 1 and 3, the pins may be dispensed with. The cushions 0 may be made of steel springs, in place of rubber. The front end'of the plate 0, and also the draw-head, are supported by the keeper 1".

The draw-heads of two cars being coupled together by the hooks D, it is manifest that in passing around curves one must stand at an angle to the other, or else provision must be made for their remaining rigidly connected. The latter is done by pivoting the draw-heads to the car-body in the manner described. Thus each drawhead can turn freely on its pivot L, and the traction and buffing action are each exerted in the direct line of the two draw-heads.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with the shafts E, of the hooks D, joined to the upper side of the shafts, and cast in one piece therewith, and the arms or shafts "i, projecting laterally from the hooks, as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the drawhead having the socket a formed solid with the front wall, of the hook-shafts E, whereby said sockets constitute a part of the traction devices, and also serve as protectors for the shafts in the coupling operation, as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the frame B, having vertical sides, of the central pivot-block and the bottom friction'plate connected there to, and the cushions U, as shown and described, to operate as specified.

4:. The swinging tongue connected to the draw-head by slotted arms, as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the hook-shaft E, of the bent lever H, mounted loosely thereon, and adapted to engage with a radial projection of the same, as shown and described.

6. The combination of the lever H, springrod, and arms 0 f with the hook D and shaft E, as shown and described.

7. The combination of spring F, rod G, and

arms cf with the hook D and shaft E, as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

8. The combination, with the draw-head cut away on one side, and the coupling hook and shaft, of the removable plate g, having a bearing for the shaft, whereby it is adapted to prevent lateral movement of the same, and to sustain part of the tractive strain, as specified.

GUSTAVE JOSEPH ORIKELAIR.

Witnesses:

JAMEs H. GRIDLEY, Orms. A. PETTI'I. 

